Probate does not keep your privacy

When a probate is filed, all of your legal heirs must be notified. Legal heirs are those who would receive your assets if you did not have a Will. Thus, even if you want your assets to go to friend or certain relatives, if probate is necessary, all legal heirs will receive notice of it. To keep matters private, you can avoid probate several ways: pay on death designations, beneficiary designations or a revocable living trust. Even if you have a trust, to avoid probate, you need to be sure all of your assets are titled in your trust -- that is, the asset should be titled in your name as trustee of your trust.